Former Dover music teacher facing child porn charge dies

BARRINGTON — Daryl J. Robertson, 39, the former Dover music teacher charged with possessing child pornography, died Sunday, according to his obituary.

No cause of death was given. Robertson formerly lived in Greenland and Eliot, Maine, but his obituary said he was a resident of Barrington.

The former St. Thomas Aquinas music teacher was arrested in January on child pornography charges, the result of a federal investigation into a foreign movie production company that sold DVDs and streaming videos of young boys engaged in sexually explicit acts.

The business sold its illegal movies and photos over the web, had a shipping facility in New York State, and maintained a customer database, according to investigators.

The customer information eventually led Greenland police and U.S. Postal Inspectors on Jan. 31 to Robertson's home, then in Greenland.

Robertson was charged by Greenland police with seven counts of possession of child sexual abuse images after a search warrant was executed at his home.

He was a music teacher from 2002 to 2008 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover.

In 2009, Robertson was acquitted of misdemeanor charges alleging he groped the genitals of a former student while swimming out behind his house.

He was prosecuted at two separate trials in Strafford County. After the verdict, Robertson filed to have his record annulled and applied for a teaching position as recently as last summer in Massachusetts, according to prosecutors.

In his obituary, Robertson is described as a loving husband, son, and brother. He was born in Portsmouth, raised in Greenland and graduated from Portsmouth High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy form the University of New Hampshire and took graduate courses toward a master's in music education.

According to the obituary, he taught music in several communities, including Barrington, Laconia, Allenstown, Epsom an Dover, and was an excellent musician (percussionist) and had a wonderful tenor voice. He was active in several musical groups.

Raised in Greenland, Robertson graduated Portsmouth High School, and went on to teach music in several communities, including Barrington, Laconia, Dover, Allenstown, and Epsom.

He also had his own landscaping business, which was primarily a summer occupation.